Bill Gates' Harvard speech (Beta)from SHARK TALES from Computer World Canada - June 22,2007
"Bill Gate's, who dropped out of Harvard in his junior year before
co-founding Microsoft Corp. and going on to become the world's richest
person, stopped off at his former stomping grounds to collect an honorary law degree."- REUTERS
Bill Gates' Harvard speech (Beta)
Honoured graduates, esteemed faculty, admired colleagues,
jealous rivals, boys and girls:
First of all, I could buy and sell every one of you. But let me talk
about some things you might not already know.
People think I'm a bit late graduating from Harvard, but if there's
one thing working in the computer industry has taught me, it's that
you don't get docked for lateness. We've been late with Windows.
We were late to the Internet. But we've also been the last to admit we
weren't the first to launch something. And that's what makes all the
difference, kids.
Is accepting this honorary degree a way for me to thumb my nose at the
many people who have worked much harder to achieve a legitimate degree
from Harvard University? Of course it is. But it's also a chance for
me to share some of my wisdom for future generations, given that next
to nobody has bothered to read any of the books that I had ghost-written for me.
To all the geeks out there, I'd just like to say it doesn't matter
what you look like on the outside. It doesn't really matter what you
look like on the inside, either. What matters is finding a fat,
overbearing friend who can beat up the people who pick on you. That
will take you a long way, no matter which path you choose.
If you come up with a good idea, don't just act on it. Patent it. Then
take on the other people who have already tried to act on it.
On a related note, make friends with lawyers. You never know how many
you're going to need.
Don't make promises you can't deliver. And if you do make such
promises, tell your critics it's not your fault; you're just the chief
software architect.
Talking paperclips make for strange mascots. You heard it here first.
If a product manger screws up a product demo during your keynote
presentation, don't get embarrassed or angry. You only have to let
people screw up once.
Do one thing every day that scares you. If you're really scared, pay
someone else to do it for you.
Be cool. Stay in school.
But always remember that being cool only gets you so far.
After all, you don't see Steve Jobs getting no Harvard degree.
Bill Gates' Harvard speech (Beta)from SHARK TALES from Computer World Canada - June 22,2007
"Bill Gate's, who dropped out of Harvard in his junior year before
co-founding Microsoft Corp. and going on to become the world's richest
person, stopped off at his former stomping grounds to collect an honorary law degree."- REUTERS
Bill Gates' Harvard speech (Beta)
Honoured graduates, esteemed faculty, admired colleagues,
jealous rivals, boys and girls:
First of all, I could buy and sell every one of you. But let me talk
about some things you might not already know.
People think I'm a bit late graduating from Harvard, but if there's
one thing working in the computer industry has taught me, it's that
you don't get docked for lateness. We've been late with Windows.
We were late to the Internet. But we've also been the last to admit we
weren't the first to launch something. And that's what makes all the
difference, kids.
Is accepting this honorary degree a way for me to thumb my nose at the
many people who have worked much harder to achieve a legitimate degree
from Harvard University? Of course it is. But it's also a chance for
me to share some of my wisdom for future generations, given that next
to nobody has bothered to read any of the books that I had ghost-written for me.
To all the geeks out there, I'd just like to say it doesn't matter
what you look like on the outside. It doesn't really matter what you
look like on the inside, either. What matters is finding a fat,
overbearing friend who can beat up the people who pick on you. That
will take you a long way, no matter which path you choose.
If you come up with a good idea, don't just act on it. Patent it. Then
take on the other people who have already tried to act on it.
On a related note, make friends with lawyers. You never know how many
you're going to need.
Don't make promises you can't deliver. And if you do make such
promises, tell your critics it's not your fault; you're just the chief
software architect.
Talking paperclips make for strange mascots. You heard it here first.
If a product manger screws up a product demo during your keynote
presentation, don't get embarrassed or angry. You only have to let
people screw up once.
Do one thing every day that scares you. If you're really scared, pay
someone else to do it for you.
Be cool. Stay in school.
But always remember that being cool only gets you so far.
After all, you don't see Steve Jobs getting no Harvard degree.
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